Ulrike Mende, MD, FAHA, graduated from Medical School at the University of Hamburg in Germany, and trained as a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Pharmacology at the University of Hamburg and in the Cardiovascular Division of Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School. She launched her career as an independent scientist and Principal Investigator (PI) at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, where she was promoted to Assistant Professor of Medicine in 2000. In 2005, Dr. Mende was recruited by Rhode Island Hospital and Brown Medical School as Associate Professor and co-founding PI of the newly established Cardiovascular Research Center (CVRC). She was appointed Professor of Medicine in 2015 and is a co-founding faculty member of the Center to Advance Predictive Biology at Brown University (recently renamed as Center for Alternatives to Animals in Testing).
Dr. Mende’s background is in pharmacology, cell signaling and molecular cardiology, and her research focus has been on the regulation of cardiac growth, contractile function, and heart rate via G protein-mediated signaling pathways in the healthy and diseased heart. Her laboratory examined how perturbations in heterotrimeric G proteins and their regulators (Regulators of G protein Signaling or ‘RGS proteins’) in cardiac myocytes and fibroblasts contribute to the development of cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis, heart failure and arrhythmias, with the long-term goal of identifying potential new therapeutic targets and strategies for pharmacological or genetic therapies. Her initial focus was on the molecular mechanisms that link perturbations in myocyte signaling to cardiac hypertrophy and failure. She then expanded her investigations to cardiac fibroblasts and their role in the cardiac remodeling response, and ultimately to cross-talk between myocytes and fibroblasts. To that end, her team developed a new 3D co-culture model for studies of the regulation of rat cardiomyocytes by cardiac fibroblasts, with a special focus on the arrhythmic implications. This work formed the foundation for on-going collaborative studies conducted in the laboratories of Dr. Kareen Coulombe and Dr. Bum-Rak Choi in human cardiac microtissues with translational potential for a variety of applications, including cardiotoxicity testing.
Dr. Mende’s research was supported by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) and the American Heart Association (AHA) for 20 years. She served as grant reviewer on many NIH study sections, special emphasis and program project review panels since 2007, and was a member of the study section for ‘Cardiac Contractility, Hypertrophy, and Failure’ (CCHF). She also has experience as a member, co-chair and chair of AHA study groups and served on the AHA Founders Affiliate Research Committee and AHA Peer Review Steering Committee. She was selected as a Fellow of the American Heart Association (FAHA) in 2006. Her expertise as a reviewer for international funding agencies include the Human Frontier in Science Program (HSFP), UK Medical Research Council (MCR), and National Centre for the Replacement, Reduction and Refinement of Animal Research (NC3Rs).
Dr. Mende has been a faculty advisor and mentor to postdoctoral fellows (at Harvard and Brown) as well as undergraduate and graduate students (at Brown only). From 2008-2013, she served as a mentor and executive committee member on a Brown CardioPulmonary Research T32 Training Program. Since 2006, she has been mentoring junior faculty and fostering their career development, in part as a faculty mentor and executive committee member on two Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE in Perinatal Biology and Cardio-Pulmonary Vascular Biology COBRE). Since 2019, she is co-directing a newly developed year-long Advance-K Scholar Career Development Program sponsored by the Brown University Division of Biology and Medicine and Advance-CTR that provides qualified junior faculty with individualized training to prepare extramural career development award applications (NIH K-series or VA CDAs).
Dr. Mende’s formal training in mentoring includes the Culture Change Mentoring and Leadership Institute at Brandeis University and training as a Facilitator for an evidence-based mentoring training program developed by the NIH-funded National Research Mentoring Network (NRMN). Based on successful implementations of 9-hr mentoring training sessions for Advance-CTR both at Brown University and the University of Rhode Island, she was recognized as a NRMN-Certified Facilitator in 2018. She also developed and facilitated 2-hr training sessions on optimizing mentoring relationships for graduate students, postdocs and junior faculty (as part of Responsible Conduct in Research training programs at Brown University) and for residents and faculty (as part of the Program in Educational Faculty Development of the Alpert Medical School).
| Kofron CM, Kim TY, Munarin F, Soepriatna AH, Kant RJ, Mende U, Choi BR, Coulombe KLK. "A predictive in vitro risk assessment platform for pro-arrhythmic toxicity using human 3D cardiac microtissues." Scientific reports, vol. 11, no. 1, 2021, pp. 10228. |
| Li X, Braza J, Mende U, Choudhary G, Zhang P. "Cardioprotective effects of early intervention with sacubitril/valsartan on pressure overloaded rat hearts." Scientific Reports, vol. 11, no. 1, 2021, pp. 16542. |
| Vang A, da Silva Gonçalves Bos D, Fernandez-Nicolas A, Zhang P, Morrison AR, Mancini TJ, Clements RT, Polina I, Cypress MW, Jhun BS, Hawrot E, Mende U, O-Uchi J, Choudhary G. "⍺7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor mediates right ventricular fibrosis and diastolic dysfunction in pulmonary hypertension." JCI insight, vol. 6, no. 12, 2021. |
| Kim TY, Kofron CM, King ME, Markes AR, Okundaye AO, Qu Z, Mende U, Choi BR. "Directed fusion of cardiac spheroids into larger heterocellular microtissues enables investigation of cardiac action potential propagation via cardiac fibroblasts." PLoS ONE, vol. 13, no. 5, 2018, pp. e0196714. |
| Jhun BS, O-Uchi J, Adaniya SM, Mancini TJ, Cao JL, King ME, Landi AK, Ma H, Shin M, Yang D, Xu X, Yoon Y, Choudhary G, Clements RT, Mende U, Sheu S-S. "Protein kinase D activation induces mitochondrial fragmentation and dysfunction in cardiomyocytes." The Journal of Physiology, vol. 596, no. 5, 2018, pp. 827-855. |
| Kofron, Celinda M, Kim, Tae Yun, King, Michelle E, Xie, An, Feng, Feng, Park, Elizabeth, Qu, Zhilin, Choi, Bum-Rak, Mende, Ulrike. "G q -activated fibroblasts induce cardiomyocyte action potential prolongation and automaticity in a 3D microtissue environment." American Journal of Physiology - Heart and Circulatory Physiology, vol. 313, no. 4, 2017, pp. ajpheart.00181.2017. |
| Kofron, Celinda M., Mende, Ulrike. "In vitro models of the cardiac microenvironment to study myocyte and non-myocyte crosstalk: bioinspired approaches beyond the polystyrene dish." The Journal of Physiology, vol. 595, no. 12, 2017, pp. 3891-3905. |
| Czarnowska E, Bierła JB, Toczek M, Tyrankiewicz U, Pająk B, Domal-Kwiatkowska D, Ratajska A, Smoleński RT, Mende U, Chłopicki S. "Narrow time window of metabolic changes associated with transition to overt heart failure in Tgaq*44 mice." Pharmacological reports : PR, vol. 68, no. 4, 2016, pp. 707-14. |
| Zhang, Peng, Kofron, Celinda M., Mende, Ulrike. "Heterotrimeric G protein-mediated signaling and its non-canonical regulation in the heart." Life sciences, vol. 129, 2015, pp. 35-41. |
| Chichger, Havovi, Vang, Alexander, O'Connell, Kelly A., Zhang, Peng, Mende, Ulrike, Harrington, Elizabeth O., Choudhary, Gaurav. "PKC δ and βII Regulate Angiotensin II Mediated Fibrosis through p38: A Mechanism of RV Fibrosis in Pulmonary Hypertension." American Journal of Physiology - Lung Cellular and Molecular Physiology, vol. 308, no. 8, 2015, pp. L827-36. |
| Matsushita, Naoko, Kashihara, Toshihide, Shimojo, Hisashi, Suzuki, Satoshi, Nakada, Tsutomu, Takeishi, Yasuchika, Mende, Ulrike, Taira, Eiichi, Yamada, Mitsuhiko, Sanbe, Atsushi, Hirose, Masamichi. "Cardiac Overexpression of Constitutively Active Galpha q Causes Angiotensin II Type1 Receptor Activation, Leading to Progressive Heart Failure and Ventricular Arrhythmias in Transgenic Mice." PLoS ONE, vol. 9, no. 8, 2014, pp. e106354. |
| Zhang P, Mende U. "Functional role, mechanisms of regulation, and therapeutic potential of regulator of G protein signaling 2 in the heart." Trends in cardiovascular medicine, vol. 24, no. 2, 2014, pp. 85-93. |
| Zhang P, Su J, Mende U. "Cross talk between cardiac myocytes and fibroblasts: from multiscale investigative approaches to mechanisms and functional consequences." AJP: Heart and Circulatory Physiology, vol. 303, no. 12, 2012, pp. H1385-H1396. |
| Desroches BR, Zhang P, Choi BR, King ME, Maldonado AE, Li W, Rago A, Liu G, Nath N, Hartmann KM, Yang B, Koren G, Morgan JR, Mende U. "Functional scaffold-free 3-D cardiac microtissues: a novel model for the investigation of heart cells." AJP: Heart and Circulatory Physiology, vol. 302, no. 10, 2012, pp. H2031-42. |
| Park-Windhol C, Zhang P, Zhu M, Su J, Chaves L Jr, Maldonado AE, King ME, Rickey L, Cullen D, Mende U. "Gq/11-mediated signaling and hypertrophy in mice with cardiac-specific transgenic expression of regulator of G-protein signaling 2." PLoS ONE, vol. 7, no. 7, 2012, pp. e40048. |
| Hirose M, Takeishi Y, Nakada T, Shimojo H, Kashihara T, Nishio A, Suzuki S, Mende U, Matsumoto K, Matsushita N, Taira E, Sato F, Yamada M. "Nicorandil prevents Gαq-induced progressive heart failure and ventricular arrhythmias in transgenic mice." PLoS ONE, vol. 7, no. 12, 2012, pp. e52667. |
| Mackiewicz U, Czarnowska E, Brudek M, Pająk B, Duda M, Emanuel K, Csanyi G, Fedorowicz A, Grochal E, Tyrankiewicz U, Skórka T, Mende U, Lewartowski B, Chłopicki S. "Preserved cardiomyocyte function and altered desmin pattern in transgenic mouse model of dilated cardiomyopathy." Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology, vol. 52, no. 5, 2012, pp. 978-87. |
| Pinz I, Zhu M, Mende U, Ingwall JS. "An improved isolation procedure for adult mouse cardiomyocytes." Cell biochemistry and biophysics, vol. 61, no. 1, 2011, pp. 93-101. |
| Hirose M, Takeishi Y, Niizeki T, Nakada T, Shimojo H, Kashihara T, Horiuchi-Hirose M, Kubota I, Mende U, Yamada M. "Diacylglycerol kinase ζ inhibits ventricular tachyarrhythmias in a mouse model of heart failure." Circulation journal : official journal of the Japanese Circulation Society, vol. 75, no. 10, 2011, pp. 2333-42. |
| Zhang P, Su J, King ME, Maldonado AE, Park C, Mende U. "Regulator of G protein signaling 2 is a functionally important negative regulator of angiotensin II-induced cardiac fibroblast responses." AJP: Heart and Circulatory Physiology, vol. 301, no. 1, 2011, pp. H147-56. |
| Zhang P, Mende U. "Regulators of G-protein signaling in the heart and their potential as therapeutic targets." Circulation research, vol. 109, no. 3, 2011, pp. 320-33. |
| Chakir K, Zhu W, Tsang S, Woo AY, Yang D, Wang X, Zeng X, Rhee MH, Mende U, Koitabashi N, Takimoto E, Blumer KJ, Lakatta EG, Kass DA, Xiao RP. "RGS2 is a primary terminator of β₂-adrenergic receptor-mediated G(i) signaling." Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology, vol. 50, no. 6, 2011, pp. 1000-7. |
| Zhang, Peng, King, Michelle, Nath, Nandan, Kofron, Celinda, Hoffman-Kim, Diane, Mende, Ulrike. "Effects of Continous Electrical Field Stimulation and Hypertrophic Stimulation on Micropatterned Cardiac Myocytes." Biophysical Journal, vol. 98, no. 3, 2010, pp. 603a-604a. |
| Hirose M, Takeishi Y, Niizeki T, Shimojo H, Nakada T, Kubota I, Nakayama J, Mende U, Yamada M. "Diacylglycerol kinase zeta inhibits G(alpha)q-induced atrial remodeling in transgenic mice." Heart rhythm : the official journal of the Heart Rhythm Society, vol. 6, no. 1, 2009, pp. 78-84. |
| Niizeki T, Takeishi Y, Kitahara T, Arimoto T, Koyama Y, Goto K, Mende U, Kubota I. "Diacylglycerol kinase zeta rescues G alpha q-induced heart failure in transgenic mice." Circulation journal : official journal of the Japanese Circulation Society, vol. 72, no. 2, 2008, pp. 309-17. |
| Zhu M, Gach AA, Liu G, Xu X, Lim CC, Zhang JX, Mao L, Chuprun K, Koch WJ, Liao R, Koren G, Blaxall BC, Mende U. "Enhanced calcium cycling and contractile function in transgenic hearts expressing constitutively active G alpha o* protein." AJP: Heart and Circulatory Physiology, vol. 294, no. 3, 2008, pp. H1335-47. |
| Drelicharz L, Kozlovski V, Skorka T, Heinze-Paluchowska S, Jasinski A, Gebska A, Guzik T, Olszanecki R, Wojnar L, Mende U, Csanyi G, Chlopicki S. "NO and PGI(2) in coronary endothelial dysfunction in transgenic mice with dilated cardiomyopathy." Basic research in cardiology, vol. 103, no. 5, 2008, pp. 417-30. |
| Fisch S, Gray S, Heymans S, Haldar SM, Wang B, Pfister O, Cui L, Kumar A, Lin Z, Sen-Banerjee S, Das H, Petersen CA, Mende U, Burleigh BA, Zhu Y, Pinto YM, Liao R, Jain MK. "Kruppel-like factor 15 is a regulator of cardiomyocyte hypertrophy." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, vol. 104, no. 17, 2007, pp. 7074-9. |
| Anger T, Klintworth N, Stumpf C, Daniel WG, Mende U, Garlichs CD. "RGS protein specificity towards Gq- and Gi/o-mediated ERK 1/2 and Akt activation, in vitro." Journal of biochemistry and molecular biology, vol. 40, no. 6, 2007, pp. 899-910. |
| Schmitt JP, Debold EP, Ahmad F, Armstrong A, Frederico A, Conner DA, Mende U, Lohse MJ, Warshaw D, Seidman CE, Seidman JG. "Cardiac myosin missense mutations cause dilated cardiomyopathy in mouse models and depress molecular motor function." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, vol. 103, no. 39, 2006, pp. 14525-30. |
| Hao J, Michalek C, Zhang W, Zhu M, Xu X, Mende U. "Regulation of cardiomyocyte signaling by RGS proteins: differential selectivity towards G proteins and susceptibility to regulation." Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology, vol. 41, no. 1, 2006, pp. 51-61. |
| Zhang W, Anger T, Su J, Hao J, Xu X, Zhu M, Gach A, Cui L, Liao R, Mende U. "Selective loss of fine tuning of Gq/11 signaling by RGS2 protein exacerbates cardiomyocyte hypertrophy." Journal of Biological Chemistry, vol. 281, no. 9, 2006, pp. 5811-20. |
| Carvalho-Bianco SD, Kim BW, Zhang JX, Harney JW, Ribeiro RS, Gereben B, Bianco AC, Mende U, Larsen PR. "Chronic cardiac-specific thyrotoxicosis increases myocardial beta-adrenergic responsiveness." Molecular endocrinology (Baltimore, Md.), vol. 18, no. 7, 2004, pp. 1840-9. |
| Anger T, Zhang W, Mende U. "Differential contribution of GTPase activation and effector antagonism to the inhibitory effect of RGS proteins on Gq-mediated signaling in vivo." Journal of Biological Chemistry, vol. 279, no. 6, 2004, pp. 3906-15. |
| Schmitt JP, Kamisago M, Asahi M, Li GH, Ahmad F, Mende U, Kranias EG, MacLennan DH, Seidman JG, Seidman CE. "Dilated cardiomyopathy and heart failure caused by a mutation in phospholamban." Science, vol. 299, no. 5611, 2003, pp. 1410-3. |
| Gehrmann J, Meister M, Maguire CT, Martins DC, Hammer PE, Neer EJ, Berul CI, Mende U. "Impaired parasympathetic heart rate control in mice with a reduction of functional G protein betagamma-subunits." AJP: Heart and Circulatory Physiology, vol. 282, no. 2, 2002, pp. H445-56. |
| Semsarian C, Ahmad I, Giewat M, Georgakopoulos D, Schmitt JP, McConnell BK, Reiken S, Mende U, Marks AR, Kass DA, Seidman CE, Seidman JG. "The L-type calcium channel inhibitor diltiazem prevents cardiomyopathy in a mouse model." Journal of Clinical Investigation, vol. 109, no. 8, 2002, pp. 1013-20. |
| Mende U, Semsarian C, Martins DC, Kagen A, Duffy C, Schoen FJ, Neer EJ. "Dilated cardiomyopathy in two transgenic mouse lines expressing activated G protein alpha(q): lack of correlation between phospholipase C activation and the phenotype." Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology, vol. 33, no. 8, 2001, pp. 1477-91. |
| Greif GJ, Sodickson DL, Bean BP, Neer EJ, Mende U. "Altered regulation of potassium and calcium channels by GABA(B) and adenosine receptors in hippocampal neurons from mice lacking Galpha(o)." Journal of Neurophysiology, vol. 83, no. 2, 2000, pp. 1010-8. |
| Mende U, Kagen A, Meister M, Neer EJ. "Signal transduction in atria and ventricles of mice with transient cardiac expression of activated G protein alpha(q)." Circulation research, vol. 85, no. 11, 1999, pp. 1085-91. |
| Mende U, Zagrovic B, Cohen A, Li Y, Valenzuela D, Fishman MC, Neer EJ. "Effect of deletion of the major brain G-protein alpha subunit (alpha(o)) on coordination of G-protein subunits and on adenylyl cyclase activity." Journal of neuroscience research, vol. 54, no. 2, 1998, pp. 263-72. |
| Mende U, Kagen A, Cohen A, Aramburu J, Schoen FJ, Neer EJ. "Transient cardiac expression of constitutively active Galphaq leads to hypertrophy and dilated cardiomyopathy by calcineurin-dependent and independent pathways." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, vol. 95, no. 23, 1998, pp. 13893-8. |
| Valenzuela D, Han X, Mende U, Fankhauser C, Mashimo H, Huang P, Pfeffer J, Neer EJ, Fishman MC. "G alpha(o) is necessary for muscarinic regulation of Ca2+ channels in mouse heart." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, vol. 94, no. 5, 1997, pp. 1727-32. |
| Eschenhagen T, Mende U, Diederich M, Hertle B, Memmesheimer C, Pohl A, Schmitz W, Scholz H, Steinfath M, Böhm M, Michel MC, Brodde OE, Raap A. "Chronic treatment with carbachol sensitizes the myocardium to cAMP-induced arrhythmia." Circulation, vol. 93, no. 4, 1996, pp. 763-71. |
| Li Y, Mende U, Lewis C, Neer EJ. "Maintenance of cellular levels of G-proteins: different efficiencies of alpha s and alpha o synthesis in GH3 cells." Biochem. J., vol. 318 ( Pt 3), 1996, pp. 1071-7. |
| Bartel S, Stein B, Eschenhagen T, Mende U, Neumann J, Schmitz W, Krause EG, Karczewski P, Scholz H. "Protein phosphorylation in isolated trabeculae from nonfailing and failing human hearts." Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, vol. 157, no. 1-2, 1996, pp. 171-9. |
| Stokke M, Hagelin EM, Mende U, Brørs O. "Stable guanosine 5'-triphosphate-analogues inhibit specific (+)-[3H]isradipine binding in rat hearts by a Ca(2+)-lowering, G protein-independent mechanism." Pharmacology & toxicology, vol. 78, no. 1, 1996, pp. 28-36. |
| Eschenhagen T, Diederich M, Kluge SH, Magnussen O, Mene U, Müller F, Schmitz W, Scholz H, Weil J, Sent U. "Bovine hereditary cardiomyopathy: an animal model of human dilated cardiomyopathy." Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology, vol. 27, no. 1, 1995, pp. 357-70. |
| Jakob H, Sigmund M, Eschenhagen T, Mende U, Patten M, Schmitz W, Scholz H, Schulte am Esch J, Steinfath M, Hanrath P. "Effect of captopril on myocardial beta-adrenoceptor density and Gi alpha-proteins in patients with mild to moderate heart failure due to dilated cardiomyopathy." European journal of clinical pharmacology, vol. 47, no. 5, 1995, pp. 389-94. |
| Boluyt MO, Long X, Eschenhagen T, Mende U, Schmitz W, Crow MT, Lakatta EG. "Isoproterenol infusion induces alterations in expression of hypertrophy-associated genes in rat heart." The American journal of physiology, vol. 269, no. 2 Pt 2, 1995, pp. H638-47. |
| Mende U, Schmidt CJ, Yi F, Spring DJ, Neer EJ. "The G protein gamma subunit. Requirements for dimerization with beta subunits." Journal of Biological Chemistry, vol. 270, no. 26, 1995, pp. 15892-8. |
| Böhm M, Eschenhagen T, Gierschik P, Larisch K, Lensche H, Mende U, Schmitz W, Schnabel P, Scholz H, Steinfath M. "Radioimmunochemical quantification of Gi alpha in right and left ventricles from patients with ischaemic and dilated cardiomyopathy and predominant left ventricular failure." Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology, vol. 26, no. 2, 1994, pp. 133-49. |
| von Schrenck T, Mackensen B, Mende U, Schmitz W, Sievers J, Mirau S, Raedler A, Greten H. "Signal transduction pathway of the muscarinic receptors mediating gallbladder contraction." Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's archives of pharmacology, vol. 349, no. 4, 1994, pp. 346-54. |
| Stein B, Mende U, Neumann J, Schmitz W, Scholz H. "Pertussis toxin unmasks stimulatory myocardial A2-adenosine receptors on ventricular cardiomyocytes." Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology, vol. 25, no. 6, 1993, pp. 655-9. |
| Eschenhagen T, Mende U, Schmitz W, Scholz H. "[Changes in gene expression in terminal myocardial failure]." Zeitschrift fur Kardiologie, vol. 81 Suppl 4, 1992, pp. 33-40. |
| Eschenhagen T, Mende U, Nose M, Schmitz W, Scholz H, Haverich A, Hirt S, Döring V, Kalmár P, Höppner W. "Increased messenger RNA level of the inhibitory G protein alpha subunit Gi alpha-2 in human end-stage heart failure." Circulation research, vol. 70, no. 4, 1992, pp. 688-96. |
| Mende U, Eschenhagen T, Geertz B, Schmitz W, Scholz H, Schulte am Esch J, Sempell R, Steinfath M. "Isoprenaline-induced increase in the 40/41 kDa pertussis toxin substrates and functional consequences on contractile response in rat heart." Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's archives of pharmacology, vol. 345, no. 1, 1992, pp. 44-50. |
| Eschenhagen T, Mende U, Diederich M, Nose M, Schmitz W, Scholz H, Schulte am Esch J, Warnholtz A, Schäfer H. "Long term beta-adrenoceptor-mediated up-regulation of Gi alpha and G(o) alpha mRNA levels and pertussis toxin-sensitive guanine nucleotide-binding proteins in rat heart." Molecular pharmacology, vol. 42, no. 5, 1992, pp. 773-83. |
| Schmitz W, Eschenhagen T, Mende U, Müller FU, Neumann J, Scholz H. "Phosphodiesterase inhibition and positive inotropy in failing human myocardium." Basic research in cardiology, vol. 87 Suppl 1, 1992, pp. 65-71. |
| Bethke T, Eschenhagen T, Klimkiewicz A, Kohl C, von der Leyen H, Mehl H, Mende U, Meyer W, Neumann J, Rosswag S. "Phosphodiesterase inhibition by enoximone in preparations from nonfailing and failing human hearts." Arzneimittel-Forschung, vol. 42, no. 4, 1992, pp. 437-45. |
| Steinfath M, Danielsen W, von der Leyen H, Mende U, Meyer W, Neumann J, Nose M, Reich T, Schmitz W, Scholz H. "Reduced alpha 1- and beta 2-adrenoceptor-mediated positive inotropic effects in human end-stage heart failure." British Journal of Pharmacology, vol. 105, no. 2, 1992, pp. 463-9. |
| Eschenhagen T, Mende U, Nose M, Schmitz W, Scholz H, Schulte am Esch J, Sempell R, Warnholtz A, Wüstel JM. "Regulation and possible functional implications of G-protein mRNA expression in nonfailing and failing ventricular myocardium." Basic research in cardiology, vol. 87 Suppl 1, 1992, pp. 51-64. |
| Eschenhagen T, Mende U, Schmitz W, Scholz H, Schulte am Esch J, Sempell R, Warnholtz A, Wüstel JM. "Beta-adrenoceptor stimulation-induced increase in cardiac Gi-protein expression and in carbachol sensitivity." European heart journal, vol. 12 Suppl F, 1991, pp. 127-31. |
| Bethke T, Klimkiewicz A, Kohl C, von der Leyen H, Mehl H, Mende U, Meyer W, Neumann J, Schmitz W, Scholz H. "Effects of isomazole on force of contraction and phosphodiesterase isoenzymes I-IV in nonfailing and failing human hearts." Journal of cardiovascular pharmacology, vol. 18, no. 3, 1991, pp. 386-97. |
| Eschenhagen T, Mende U, Nose M, Schmitz W, Scholz H, Warnholtz A, Wüstel JM. "Isoprenaline-induced increase in mRNA levels of inhibitory G-protein alpha-subunits in rat heart." Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's archives of pharmacology, vol. 343, no. 6, 1991, pp. 609-15. |
| von der Leyen H, Mende U, Meyer W, Neumann J, Nose M, Schmitz W, Scholz H, Starbatty J, Stein B, Wenzlaff H. "Mechanism underlying the reduced positive inotropic effects of the phosphodiesterase III inhibitors pimobendan, adibendan and saterinone in failing as compared to nonfailing human cardiac muscle preparations." Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's archives of pharmacology, vol. 344, no. 1, 1991, pp. 90-100. |
| Schmitz W, Eschenhagen T, Mende U, Müller FU, Scholz H. "The role of alpha 1-adrenergic and muscarinic receptors in cardiac function." European heart journal, vol. 12 Suppl F, 1991, pp. 83-7. |
| Böhm M, Mende U, Schmitz W, Scholz H. "Cardiac alpha-receptors and cardiac hypertrophy in genetic predisposition to hypertension." American Heart Journal, vol. 112, no. 6, 1986, pp. 1347-9. |
| Böhm M, Mende U, Schmitz W, Scholz H. "Does an impaired adenosine mediated feedback control play a role in the development of hereditary dystrophic cardiomyopathy?." Cardiovascular research, vol. 20, no. 8, 1986, pp. 568-73. |
| Böhm M, Mende U, Schmitz W, Scholz H. "Increased responsiveness to stimulation of alpha- but not beta-adrenoceptors in the hereditary cardiomyopathy of the Syrian hamster. Intact adenosine- and cholinoceptor-mediated isoprenaline antagonistic effect." European journal of pharmacology, vol. 128, no. 3, 1986, pp. 195-203. |
| Böhm M, Mende U, Schmitz W, Scholz H. "Increased sensitivity to alpha-adrenoceptor stimulation but intact purinergic and muscarinergic effects in prehypertensive cardiac hypertrophy of spontaneously hypertensive rats." Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's archives of pharmacology, vol. 333, no. 3, 1986, pp. 284-9. |
Current Research Funding:
Title: Regulation of mitochondrial calcium uniporter in the heart
Source: R01 HL136757; NIH/NHLBI
Dates: 07/01/2017 – 06/30/2022
Amount: 5% salary support
Role: Co-Investigator (PI: Dr. J. O-Uchi)
Title: Human 3D Microtissues for Toxicity Testing via Integrated Imaging, Molecular and Functional Analyses
Source: 1U01 ES028184; NIH/NIEHS
Dates: 09/15/2017 – 07/31/2022
Amount: 10% salary support
Role: Co-Investigator [with Drs. B-R. Choi & KLK. Coulombe] and subcontract PI (Project PI: Dr. K. Boekelheide)
Title: Scarring and Arrhythmia in Infarcted Aged Hearts: Role of Senescent Fibroblasts
Source: R01 HL139467; NIH/NHLBI
Dates: 01/20/2019 - 12/31/2022
Amount: 5% salary support
Role: Co-Investigator (MPI: Drs. G. Koren and J. Sedivy)
Title: A novel therapy targeting cardiac fibroblast electrical remodeling to reduce fatal arrhythmias after heart attack
Source: Brown University OPVR Seed Award
Dates: 01/17/2019 - 06/30/2021
Amount: 5% effort (in kind)
Role: Co-Investigator (PI: Dr. KLK Coulombe)
Title: Cardio-Tox TEEM (Tissue Engineered Model): A novel human in vitro cardiotoxicity assay
Source: Brown Biomedical Innovations to Impact (BBII)
Dates: 09/01/2020 - 08/30/2021
Amount: 2.5% effort (in kind)
Role: Co-Investigator (PI: Dr. KLK Coulombe)
| Year | Degree | Institution |
|---|---|---|
| 1988 | MD | University of Hamburg |
| Research Fellow | Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women's Hospital, cardiovascular basic science | 1992-1995 | Boston, MA |
| Research Fellow | University of Hamburg, Pharmacology | 1988-1992 | Germany |
Dean’s Award in Faculty Research Mentoring (Advance-K Scholar Career Development Program, Brown), 2021
Dean’s Award in Faculty Research Mentoring (Advance-CTR Mentoring Training, Brown), 2020
Certified Facilitator for Research Mentoring Training (National Research Mentoring Network), 2018
Cardiac Contractility and Heart Failure (CCHF) study section (NIH/CSR, Member), 2015-2019
Honorary M.A. ad eundum (Brown University), 2007
Fellow of the American Heart Association (FAHA, American Heart Association), 2006
9th Annual AstraZeneca Cardiovascular Young Investigators' Forum, 2nd Prize (AstraZeneca), 2003
New Investigator Travel Award (American Heart Association), 2002
New England Cardiovascular Research Competition, 3rd Prize (AstraZeneca), 1998
Louis N. and Arnold M. Katz Basic Science Research Prize for Young Investigators, Finalist (American Heart Association), 1998
Thomas W. Smith Fellowship Award (Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston), 1998-1999
Postdoctoral Fellowship Award (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft), 1992-1994
Dr. Martini Award (University of Hamburg, Germany), 1991
| Name | Title |
|---|---|
| Choi, Bum-Rak | Associate Professor of Medicine (Research) |
| Choudhary, Gaurav | Ruth and Paul Levinger Professor of Cardiology |
| Coulombe, Kareen | Associate Professor of Engineering, Director of Biomedical Engineering |
| Hoffman-Kim, Diane | Associate Professor of Neuroscience, Chair, Brown University Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, Associate Professor of Engineering |
| Koren, Gideon | Professor of Medicine |
| Morgan, Jeffrey | Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Donna Weiss '89 and Jason Weiss Director of the Center for Alternatives to Animals in Testing, Professor of Engineering |
American Heart Association
| Senior Research Scientist. Rhode Island Hospital, 2010-Present |
| Research Associate. Rhode Island Hospital, 2005-2010 |
| Research Associate. Brigham and Women's Hospital, 1995-2005 |
Ulrike Mende taught the entire spectrum of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology to medical students in traditional lecture format at the University of Hamburg in Germany from 1988 to 1992. In 1993, she gained experience with the problem-oriented learning approach at Harvard Medical School by leading a tutorial group in the Principles in Pharmacology course for 1st year medical students. From 2001-2005, she was on the faculty for the Integrated Human Physiology course as tutor and was nominated by Harvard Medical School students for teaching awards twice.
As faculty of the Alpert Medical School of Brown University, she taught undergraduate, graduate and medical students from 2006-2018 and is the recipient of the Dean's Teaching Award.
Dr. Mende trained many postdoctoral fellows both at Harvard and at Brown, and she has been mentoring junior faculty and fostering their career development at Brown since 2006.
As NRMN-Certified Facilitator, she has been providing 9-hr research mentoring training sessions to faculty of all ranks from Brown University and the University of Rhode Island for Advance-CTR since May 2018 and received the 2020 Dean's Award for Faculty Research Mentoring with four other faculty on the Facilitation Team. She has offered additional 2-hr training sessions on opimizing mentor-mentee relationships to Brown graduate students, postdocs, and junior faculty (as RCR sessions) and at the Brown Alpert Medical School.
in 2019 Dr. Mende co-developed a new Advance-K Scholar Career Development Program,sponsored by the Brown University Division of Biology and Medicine and Advance-CTR. As Co-Director of this program, she has shared responsibility for its on-going implementation. The Leadership Team was recognized with the 2021 Dean's Award for Faculty Research Mentoring.
